Car door support



Nov. 30, 1937.

CAR DOOR SUPPORT 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb` 3., 193,4

CFI/ei. UTE

Nov. 30, 1937. c. LUTE N0/784 CAR DOOR SUPPORT Filed Feb. 3, 1934 SheetS-Sheet 2 C. L UTE Nov. 30, 1937.

CAR DOOR SUPPORT Filed Feb, 3, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 (TH/6L UTE Patented Nov. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAR DOOR SUPPORT Company, Cleveland,

Ohio

Ohio, a corporation of Application February 3, 1934, Serial No. '709,562

17 Claims.

This invention relates to car doors and concerns itself primarily with sliding doors for railway freight cars adapted to be rictionally supported in open and closed positions.

It is an object of this invention to provide sliding doors for railway cars adapted to be frictionally supported in open and closed positions, the frictional supporting means including swinging cams.

A further object is to provide sliding car doors supported upon antifriction means for travel between cpen and closed positions and uponfriction means embodying swinging cams whereby to relieve the antifriction means of the weight of the doors in said positions.

A further object is to provide sliding doors frictionally supported in open and closed positions, the supporting means being so constructed as to obviate the need for actuating mechanism for shifting the doors from said supporting means to rolling means utilized to support the doors during their travel.

A further object is to provide sliding doors antifrictionaily supported upon tracks for travel between open and closed positions and frictionally supported in such positions by xed and movable cams carried by said doors and tracks.

A further object is to provide sliding doors antifrictionally supported by means of ball and spacer units upon tracks for travel between open and closed positions and frictionally supported in.

such positions by means embodying swingable cams engageable with the spacers of said units whereby to avoid shifting of said units relative to said doors.

A further object is to provide sliding doors antifrictionally supported upon tracks for travel between open and closed positions and supported in such positions by means including swingable cams capable of elevating said doors above the antifrictionalA supporting means.

Other objects will become clear as the description of the invention proceeds.

In the drawings forming part of this specifica- D tion:

Figure l is a partial elevation of a railway car provided with doors embodying the invention, one of the doors being shown in closed position;

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure l, the door being shown in open position;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 the door being shown in an intermediate position;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4 4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 5 5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken on line 6 6 of Figure l;

Figure 7 is a vertical section taken on line 1 1 of Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a horizontal section taken on line 8 8 of Figure 1; and

Figure 9 is a horizontal'section taken on line 9 9 of Figure l.

Referring to the drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, the numeral IU designates a portion of a side of a railway house car. An opening is provided in the side of said car, the vertical margins of which are defined by means of the front and rear door posts I I and `I2 and the lower margin of which is defined by the floor I3. A front stop angle and guard strip Ie is secured to the front door post I I and a guard I5 is securedto the rear door post. A track I6 is disposed below the door opening hereinabove dened and is maintained in desired position by means of a plurality of track supporting brackets II secured to a side sill (not shown) of the car.

The track I6 is adapted to support a door I8 for sliding movement in order to open and close the door opening provided in the carside. The door as rillustrated may be formed of metal and comprises a metallic panel I 9 provided with horizontal corrugations 20 which merge at their ends into vertical corrugations 2l and 22. The vertical corrugations 2 Iand 22 terminate as indicated at 23 and 24 above the lowermost horizontal corrugation 20, the terminals 25 and 2B of which lie within the vertical corrugations. By means of the above described structure of the vertical and horizontal corrugations flat portions are provided at the lower corners of the door for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

The door is supported upon antifrictional means for movement relative to the track I6 between open and closed positions. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the supporting means vpreferably takes the form of a plurality of balls 21 maintained in proper spaced relationship by means of a ball spacer 28 slidably supported upon the track I5 and movable with the balls. The balls 21 are adapted to be seated within a ball runway 29 in rolling engagement therewith and in rolling engagement with the supporting track I6.

Brackets 36 and SI are secured to the door upon the flat portions provided in the lower corners thereof. Each of these brackets, as clearly shown in Figures 1, 6, 8 and 9, is so disposed as to overlap the terminal portions of the vertical and horizontal corrugations in order to close said corrugations. The bracket 39 is formed with a downwardly opening pocket 32 within which a cam 33 is swingably mounted by means of a pin 34 extending through aligned openings in said bracket and in said cam. The bracket 3l is similarly formed and is provided with a pocket 35 within which is received a cam 36 swingably mounted therein by means of a pin 31 having bearing within the bracket and extending through an opening provided in the cam. The front and rear vertical walls 33 and 39 of the pocket 32 are formed adjacent their lower edges with shoulders 49 and 4I adapted to cooperate with oppositely extending studs 42 and 43 formed on the cam 33 as will hereinafter appear. Similarly, the front and rear walls 44 and 45 of the pocket 35 are provided adjacent their lower edges with shoulders 46 and 41 which may coact with oppositely extending lugs 48 and 49 provided on the cam 36. The walls 38 and 39 of the pocket 32 are connected at their upper edges by means of a riby 50, while the walls 44 and 45 of the pocket 35 are connected by means of a rib 5I.

The rear walls 39 and 45 extend downwardly, as clearly shown in Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings, below the track and, together with the downwardly extending wing 52 of the ball runway 29, provide means preventing outward movement and disengagement of the door from the track. The bracket 30 is secured to the panel I9 of the door by means of rivets 53 which also aid in securing the front edge sealing strip 54 to said panel. Adjacent its lower edge the sealing strip 54 is coped as indicated at 55 to permit easy assembly of the bracket 30 with the sealing strip 54. It will be clear from Figure 8 of the drawings that the sealing strip 54, together with the front wall 56 of the bracket 39, coact with the front stop angle I4 to exclude weather from the car.

The bracket 3| is secured to the rear margin of the door I8 in part by means of rivets 51 which serve additionally to secure the rear edge sealing strip 58 and a buier angle 59 to the door. The sealing strip 58, as clearly shown in Figure 9 of the drawings, coacts with the guard strip I5 secured to the rear door post I2 in order to exclude the weather from entering the car.

v A pair of cams or supports 60 and 6I are secured preferably upon the track I6. The cam 6D is disposed adjacent the front stop angle I4 while the cam 6I is secured upon the track adjacent the rear vertical edge o-f the door when said door is in open position. The cam 69 is provided with a portion 62 inclined upwardly in the direction of closing movement of the door and a recessed portion 63 providing a shoulder 64. The fixed cam o-r support 6I is provided with a portion 65 inclined upwardly in the direction of opening movement of the door and a recessed portion 6B providing a shoulder 51.

The track I6 at a predetermined point thereof has secured thereto a stud 68 adapted to coact with the depending flanges 69 and 16 formed on the extensions 1I and 12 of the ball spacer 28. These extensions 1I and 412 are provided additionally with the upwardly extending abutments 13 and 14.

It is believed with the foregoing detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention that the operation thereof will be clear. In Figure 1 of the drawings the door is illustrated in its closed position, in which, as will be apparent from Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings, the weight of the door has been removed from the balls 21 and is carried by the xed cam or support 69, the extension 1I provided on the ball spacer and the swinging cams 33 and 36. Similarly, in the open position of the door illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings the iixed cam 6I, the extension 12 of the ball spacer and the swinging cams, again provide frictional supports for the weight of the door, thereby relieving the balls 21 of such weight.

To dispose the door upon the balls for easy movement from the closed to the open position it is only necessary to grasp the door by some means such as the customary xed handle and to exert a force upon the door in the opening direction thereof. This force will cause the swinging cams 33 and 36 to fulcrum upon the fixed cam 66 and the ball spacer extension 1I whereupon thedoor will be moved in the direction of opening travel and disposed in engagement with the balls for antifrictional movement. The door will then be moved to open position and as it approaches said position the swinging cam 36 will engage the inclined portion 65 of the xed cam 6I so as to slide upwardly upon said portion and be received within the recessed portion 66 behind the shoulder 61. During this sliding movement of the swinging cam 36 it is maintained against rotation by means of the engagement between the lugs 48 and 49 provided on the cam and the shoulders 46 and 41 formed adjacent the lower edges of the walls 44 and 45 of the bracket 3I. In this position of the swinging cam the shoulder 61 will prevent sliding disengagement of the cam from the iixed support 6I. Substantially simultaneous with the sliding engagement between the swinging cam 36 and xed cam 6I the swinging cam 33 will engage the abutment 13 formed on the extension 12 of the ball spacer 28, causing said swinging cam to iulcrum upon said extension until engagement occurs between said cam and the rib 5I! provided between the walls 38 and 39 at the pocket 32 formed in theV bracket 39.

The action of the swinging cams it will be evident will elevate the door so that the ball runway 29 will be out of engagement with the balls and the door will be frictionally supported upon the extension 12 of the ball spacer and the xed cam 6I. It will also be apparent that inasmuch as the extension 12 is 'disposed upon the track the weight of the door, acting through the swinging cam 33, will maintain the ball spacer in substantially xed relationship with the track so as to prevent shifting of the balls relative to the door. In order to insure proper engagement between the swinging cam 33 and the abutment 13 of the ball spacer the stud 68 extending from the track will engage the depending flange 18 provided on the extension 12, thereby limiting the movement of the ball spacer in the direction of opening travel of the door.

In the closing movement of the door the swinging cam 33 will slide upon the inclined portion 62 of the xed cam 60 and subsequently drop into the recessed portion 63 behind the shoulder 64 provided on said xed cam. Swinging movement of the cam 33 is prevented during this sliding movement by means of the engagement of the lugs 42 and 43 provided on the cam with the shoulders 40 and 4I formed on the walls 38 and 39 of the pocket 32. The swinging cam 36 will, during the closing movement of the door, over- CTI ` OCCUIS.

take the ball spacer 28 and through engagement of said cam with the abutment-'I4 will fulcrum upon the extension 'H of the ball spacer until engagement between said cam and the rib 5| AtV this timethe door in its closed position is. elevated above the balls and frictionally supported upon the fixed supports 60 and 1l. The weight of the door upon the spacer extension H will maintain said'spacer against movement upon the track while the engagement between the stud 68 and the depending flange 69 provided on the extensionV 'H will insure the fulcruming action of the swinging cam 36-upon said extension.

It is to be observed that in both the open and closed positions of the door the weight of the door acts through the pins 34 and 31 which are disposed in horizontally offset relationship to the points of engagement between the swinging and iixed sup-ports in the direction of movement of the door. In view of this fact resistance is offered to the accidental shifting of the door in the opposite direction and the disposal of the weight of the .door upon the balls.

It will be apparent that numerous changes and modications in the details of the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art. It is intended, therefore, that all such modications and changes be comprehended within this invention, which is to be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

l. In a railway house car having a track and a sliding door, a ball runway for said door, a plurality of balls adapted to have rolling engagement with said runway and said track for supporting said door for antifrictional movement, a spacer adapted to be seated upon said track and associated with and maintain said balls in spaced relationship, means for elevating and frictionally supporting said door in the open and closed positions, thereby transferring the weight of said door from said balls to said means, and means engageable with said spacer in said door positions for preventing shifting of said balls along said track. f v

2. In a railway house car having a track and a sliding door, a ball runway for said door and secured thereto against rotation, a plurality of` balls adapted to have rolling engagement with said runway and said track for supporting said door for antifrictional movement, a spacer adapted to be seated upon said track and associated with and maintain said `balls in spaced relationship, means for frictionally supporting said door in open and closed positions whereby to relieve said balls ofthe weight of said door and other means engageable with said spacer in said door positions for preventing shifting of said balls along said track. l

3. In a railway house car having a track and a sliding door, a ball runway for Said door and secured thereto against rotation, a plurality of balls adapted to have rolling engagement with said runway and said track for supporting said door` for antifrictional movement, a spacer adapted to be seated upon said track and associated with and maintain said balls in spaced relationship', means for frictionally supporting said door in open and closed positions whereby to relieve said balls of the weight of said door and a stud projecting laterally beyond said track and engageable with projections formed on said spacer in said door positions for preventing shifting of said balls along said track.

4. In a railway house car having a track and a sliding door, a ball runway substantially inverted V-shape in section adapted to be carried by said door, a plurality of balls seated in said runway and adapted to have rolling engagement therewith and with said track for supporting said door for antifrictional movement, a spacer adapted to be disposed upon said track and associated with and maintain said balls in spaced relationship and means for obtaining substantially Xed relationship between sai-d spacer and track in the open and closed positions of said door to prevent shifting of said balls, said means comprising swinging cams adapted to be secured to said door adjacent the vertical edges thereof, one of said cams engaging and fulcruming upon said spacer in one of `said positions of the door to elevate and dispose a part of the weight of said door upon said spacer and the other cam similarly cooperating with said spacer in the other position of said door for the purpose set forth.

5. In a railway house car having a track and a slidi-ng door, antifriction means for slidably supporting said door upon said track, Xed and relatively movable supports adapted to be carried by said track, swinging cams adapted to be secured to said door adjacent the vertical edges thereof, said swinging cams engaging certain of said xed and movable supports in predetermined positions of said door to elevate and frictionally support saiddoor.

6. In a railway'house car having a sliding door, antifriction elements for supporting said door, cams adapted to be swingably secured to said door adjacent the vertical edges thereof, supports carried by said car, one of said swinging cams fulcruming about an adjacent support at a predetermined position of the door to elevate and frictionally support a part of the door, the other of said swinging cams being slidably engaged with an adjacent support to elevate and frictionally support the remaining part of said door, said supports being provided with shoulders engageable with and preventing sliding disengagement of said swinging cams in said predetermined door positions.

'7. In a railway house car having a sliding door, antifr'ictional elements for supporting said door, cams adapted to be swingably secured to said door adjacentthe vertical edges thereof, supports carried by said car, one of said swinging cams fuloruming about an adjacent support at a predetermined position of the door to elevate and frictionally support a part of the door, the other of said swinging cams being slidably engaged with an adjacent support to elevate and frictionally support the remaining part of said door, said swinging cams having lugs engageable with shoulders. provided on said doo-r to limit swinging movement of said cams in one direction while A permitting thereof in the opposite direction.

8. In a railway house car having a sliding door, antifriction elements for supporting said d-oor, cams adapted to be swingably secured to said door adjacent the vertical edges thereof, supports carried by said car, one of said swinging cams fulcruming about an adjacent support at. a predetermined position of the door to elevate and irictionally support a part of the door, the other of said swinging cams Vbeing slidably engaged with an adjacent support to elevate and frictionally support the remaining part of said door, said fixed cams being provided with swinging movement shoulders engaging and'y preventing slidingv disengagement of said swinging cams, saidswinging cams having lugs engageable with shoulders provided on said door to limit swinging movement of said cams in one direction while permitting swinging movement thereof in the opposite direction.

9. In a railway house car having a sliding door, means for frictionally and antifrictionally supporting said door upon said car, said means comprising cams swingably mounted upon said door adjacent the lower corners thereof, antifriction elements for supporting. said door for movement upon said car and shouldered supporting members carried by said car, said cams cooperating with certain of said supporting members in the open position of said door and with the'remaining supporting members in the closed positioni 0f said door to elevate and frictionally support said door in elevated position, whereby the weight of said door is removed from said antifriction elements, one of said cams swinging about its supporting member as a fulcrum in the elevation of the door, portions of said cams lying behind said shoulders when said door is frictionally supported. l

10. In a railway house car having a sliding door, means for antifrictionally and frictionally supporting said door upon said car, said means comprising cams adapted to be swingably mounted upon said door adjacent the lower corners thereof, antifriction elements adapted to support said door for movement upon said car and supporting members adapted to be carried by said car, said cams cooperating with certain of said supporting members in the open position of said door and with the remaining supporting members in the closed position of said door to elevate and frictionally support said door in elevated position, whereby the weight of said door is removed from said antifriction elements, one of said cams swinging about its supporting member as a fulcrum in the elevation of the door.

11. In a railway house car having a track and a sliding door, means for antifrictionally and,

frictionally supporting said door upon said car, said means comprising a plurality of balls adapted to be interposed between said track and door for supporting said door for antifrictional movement upon said track, a spacer associated with and maintaining said balls in spaced relationship, swinging cams adapted to be `mounted upon said door adjacent the lower corners thereof, fixed supports adapted to be secured to said track and .fixed supports carried by said spacer, said cams being engageable with the adjacent track and spacer supports in the open and closed positions of said door to elevate and frictionally support said door above said balls.

l2. In a railway house car having a track and aV sliding door, means for antifrictionally and frictionally supporting said door upon said car,

said means comprising a ball runway for said door, a plurality of balls adapted to have rolling engagement with said runway yand said track for- 'other predetermined position thereof to elevate and disposed a part of the weight of said door upon said spacer.

13. In a railway house car having a track and a sliding door, means for antifrictionally and frictionally supporting said door upon said car, said means comprising a ball runway for said door, a plurality of balls adapted to have rolling engagement with said runway and said track for supporting said door for antifrictional movement, a

spacer adapted to be seated upon said track and associatedwith and maintain said balls in spaced relationship, swinging cams adapted to be secured to said door adjacent the vertical edges thereof, one of said cams engaging and fulcruming upon said spacer at a predetermined position thereof and the other of said cams engaging and fulcruming upon said spacer at another predetermined position thereof to elevate and dispose a part of the weight of said door upon said spacer; and means projecting laterally beyond said track for determining said positions of said spacer.

14. In a railway house car having a track and a sliding door, means for antifrictionally and frictionally supporting said door upon said car, said means comprising a ball runway for said door, a plurality of balls adapted to have rolling engagement with said runway and said track for supporting said door for antifrictional movement, a spacer adapted to be seated upon said track and associated with and maintain said balls in spaced relationship, swinging, cams adapted to be secured to said door adjacent the vertical edges thereof,v one of said cams engaging and fulcruming upon said spacer at a predetermined position thereof and the other of said cams engaging and fulcruming upon said spacer at another predetermined position thereof to elevate and dispose a part of the weight of said door upon said spacer, and cooperating means carried by said door' and cams for limiting the swinging movement of said cams. Y

15. In a railway house car having a track and a sliding door, means for antifrictionally and frictionally supporting said door upon said car, said means comprising a ball runway for said door, a plurality of balls adapted to have rolling engagement with said runway and said track for supporting said door for antifrictional movement, a spacer adapted to be seated upon said track and associated with and maintain said balls in spacedrelationship, abutments provided on said spacer, swinging cams adapted to be secured to said door adjacent the vertical edges thereof, one of said abutments engaging a cam at a predetermined position of said spacer and the other of said abutments engaging a cam at a predetermined position of said spacer and causing said cams to ful'crum upon said spacer to elevate and dispose a part of theweight of said door upon said spacer.

16. In a railway house car having a track anda door, means for supporting said door for antifrictional movement upon said track, said means comprising a runway for said door, a plurality of balls adapted to haveV rolling engagement with said runway and said track, a spacer adapted to be seated upon said track and associated with and maintain said balls in spaced relationship, swinging cams adaptedto be secured to said door adjacent to the vertical edges thereof, one of said cams being adaptedto engage and fulcrum upon said spacer at a predetermined position thereof to elevate and dispose a part of the weight of said door upon said spacer, and means including the other of said cams adapted to elevate and frictionally support the remainder of said door at said position.

17. In a railway house car having a track and a door, means for supporting said door for antiirictional movement upon said track, said means comprising a bail runway for said door, a plurality of balls adapted to have rolling engagement with said runway and said track, a spacer adapted 10 to be seated upon said track and associated with and maintain said balls in spaced relationship, a

swinging cam adapted to be secured to said door adjacent a vertical edgev thereof, said cam being adapted to fulcrum upon said spacer at a predetermined position thereof to elevate and dispose a part of the weight of said door upon said spacer, and means on said door and car cooperating to elevate and frictionally support the remainder of said door at said position. 

